Substrates, Structures Within A Scribe-Line Area Of A Substrate, And Methods Of Forming A Conductive Line Of A Redistribution Layer Of A Substrate And Of Forming A Structure Within A Scribe-Line Area Of The Substrate

ABSTRACT

A substrate comprises a pair of immediately-adjacent integrated-circuit dies having scribe-line area there-between. At least one of the dies comprises insulting material above integrated circuitry. The insulating material has an opening therein that extends elevationally inward to an upper conductive node of integrated circuitry within the one die. The one die comprises a conductive line of an RDL above the insulating material. The RDL-conductive line extends elevationally inward into the opening and is directly electrically coupled to the upper conductive node. The insulating material has a minimum elevational thickness from an uppermost surface of the upper conductive node to an uppermost surface of the insulating material that is immediately-adjacent the insulating-material opening. Insulator material is above a conductive test pad in the scribe-line area. The insulator material has an opening therein that extends elevationally inward to an uppermost surface of the conductive test pad. The insulator material has a minimum elevational thickness from the conductive-test-pad uppermost surface to an uppermost surface of the insulator material that is immediately-adjacent the insulator-material opening and that is less than said minimum elevational thickness of the insulating material. Methods are disclosed.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments disclosed herein pertain to substrates, to structures withina scribe-line area of a substrate, and to methods of forming aconductive line of a redistribution layer of a substrate and of forminga structure within a scribe-line area of the substrate.

BACKGROUND

Multiple integrated circuit structures are typically fabricated withinindividual die area of a larger substrate and have scribe-line areabetween immediately-adjacent die areas. The structures are singulated(cut) into individual dies or chips typically by mechanically sawingthrough the scribe-line area. Sacrificial test circuitry is often in thescribe-line area to enable testing and/or burn-in of the integratedcircuitry in the die areas prior to singulation. Such test circuitrytypically includes exposed test pads that are contacted by probe pins oftest machinery during test and/or burn-in. Sawing through these testpads can propagate cracks into the die area that can render the dieinoperable.

The integrated circuit structures typically comprise a redistributionlayer that is an upper layer of integrated circuitry that comprisesmetal material and that makes input/output nodes for the integratedcircuitry available in or at other locations within the die.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic top view of a substrate comprisingintegrated-circuit dies having scribe-line area there-between inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic and fragmentary cross-sectional viewof a portion the FIG. 1 substrate in process in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a view of the FIG. 2 substrate at a processing step subsequentto that shown by FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top view the FIG. 3 substrate looking downwardly from line4-4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view of the FIG. 3 substrate at a processing step subsequentto that shown by FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a view of the FIG. 5 substrate at a processing step subsequentto that shown by FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view of the FIG. 6 substrate at a processing step subsequentto that shown by FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a view of the FIG. 7 substrate at a processing step subsequentto that shown by FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a top view the FIG. 8 substrate looking downwardly from line9-9 in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a view of the FIG. 8 substrate at a processing stepsubsequent to that shown by FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a view of the FIG. 10 substrate at a processing stepsubsequent to that shown by FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a view of the FIG. 11 substrate at a processing stepsubsequent to that shown by FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a view of the FIG. 12 substrate at a processing stepsubsequent to that shown by FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a view of the FIG. 13 substrate at a processing stepsubsequent to that shown by FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of an example maskingtool that may be used to form the construction of FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a portion of asubstrate in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the invention encompass methods of forming a conductiveline of a redistribution layer of a substrate and of forming a structurewithin a scribe-line area of the substrate. Embodiments of the inventionalso encompass a substrate and a structure within a scribe-line area ofa substrate independent of method of manufacture. Example embodimentsare initially described with reference to FIGS. 1-14.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a substrate construction 10 in process of amethod in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is shown.Construction 10 has been fabricated to comprise a plurality of die areas111, 112, 113, and 114 (hereinafter referred to as dies or individualdie) having scribe-line area 115 between such dies. Construction 10 ofFIG. 1 may, by way of example, be part of a much larger substrate (e.g.,a semiconductor wafer) having numerous more dies. Processing isdescribed below relative to forming a pair of immediately-adjacentintegrated-circuit dies (i.e., dies that individually compriseintegrated circuitry therein) having scribe-line area there-between.Example such pairs include dies 111/112, dies 113/114, dies 111/113,dies 112/114, dies 112/113, and dies 111/114. FIG. 2 is an enlargedsectional view of a small portion of FIG. 1 showing a portion of die 113and adjacent scribe-line area 115 that may be between any of dies 113and 111, dies 113 and 112, and/or dies 113 and 114.

Substrate construction 10 may comprise a base substrate (not shown) thatmay include any one or more of conductive/conductor/conducting (i.e.,electrically herein), semiconductive/semiconductor/semiconducting, orinsulative/insulator/insulating (i.e., electrically herein) materials.Various materials would typically be formed above the base substrate,with the base substrate and such materials comprising any existing orlater-developed integrated circuitry. Dies 111, 112, 113, and 114individually comprise some upper conductive node 14 of integratedcircuitry and insulating material 12 (e.g., doped or undoped silicondioxide) above upper conductive node 14. The integrated circuitry isotherwise not material to this disclosure. Example upper conductive node14 is for simplicity shown as a conductive block of material (e.g.,metal material, such as TiN) that may be part of a conductive line or acontact pad that electrically couples with the integrated circuitrythere-below (not shown). A dashed line 13 is shown within insulatingmaterial 12 and may have been a surface upon which upper conductive node14 was formed, followed by deposition of more or other insulatingmaterial 12 there-above. Upper conductive node 14 may be considered ashaving an uppermost surface 16, and which in one embodiment may beplanar as shown.

Scribe-line area 115 comprises a conductive test pad 18 and insulatormaterial 20 directly above conductive test pad 18, Insulating material12 and insulator material 20 may be the same composition relative oneanother or may be of different compositions relative one another.Example conductive test pad 18 is for simplicity shown as a conductiveblock of material (e.g., metal material, such as TiN) that may be partof a conductive line or a contact pad that directly electrically coupleswith integrated circuitry within die 113 or which directly couples totest or burn-in circuitry (not shown) that is sacrificial and withinscribe-line area 115. Materials of constructions 14 and 18 may be thesame or of different composition relative one another. A dashed line 21is shown within insulator material 20 and may have been a surface uponwhich conductive test pad 18 was formed, followed by deposition of moreor other insulator material 20 there-above. Conductive test pad 18 maybe considered as having an uppermost surface 22, and which in oneembodiment may be planar as shown. In one embodiment and as shown,upper-conductive-node-uppermost surface 16 andconductive-test-pad-uppermost surface 22 are at a same (i.e., common)elevation within in the depicted substrate. Radiation-imageable material(RIM) 24 has been formed directly above insulating material 12 andinsulator material 20. RIM 24 may be any existing or later-developedmaterial that can be imaged by any existing orlater-developed/discovered radiation, with photoresist being oneexample.

Materials may be aside, elevationally inward, or elevationally outwardof the FIGS. 1 and 2-depicted materials. For example, other partially orwholly fabricated components of integrated circuitry may be providedsomewhere above, about, or within the base substrate (not shown).Control and/or other peripheral circuitry for operating componentswithin an array (e.g., an array of memory cells) in the dies may also befabricated, and may or may not be wholly or partially within an array orsub-array. Further, multiple sub-arrays may also be fabricated andoperated independently, in tandem, or otherwise relative one another. Inthis document, a “sub-array” may also be considered as an array.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a die opening 26 has been formed through RIM24 to insulating material 12 directly above upper conductive node 14 inindividual of the dies. A test-pad opening 28 has been formed into RIM24 directly above conductive test pad 18. Test-pad opening 28 may beconsidered as having a bottom 30. RIM 24 is elevationally between bottom30 of RIM-test-pad opening 28 and insulator material 20.

Referring to FIG. 5, RIM 24 (not shown) has been used as maskingmaterial while simultaneously etching: (a) insulating material 12through RIM-die opening 26 (not shown) to form an insulating-materialopening 36 to upper conductive node 14, and b) insulator material 20through RIM-test-pad opening 28 (not shown) to form aninsulator-material opening 38 directly above conductive test pad 18.Insulator-material opening 38 may be considered as having a bottom 40and sidewalls 42. Insulator material 20 is elevationally between bottom40 of insulator-material opening 38 and conductive test pad 18. RIM 24may be wholly or partially removed while etching insulating material 12and insulator material 20 and/or removed after such etching has beencompleted.

Referring to FIG. 6, conductive material 44 of a redistribution layer 46(i.e., an upper layer of integrated circuitry that comprises metalmaterial and that makes input/output nodes for the integrated circuitryavailable in or at other locations, and hereafter referred to as RDL)has been formed above insulating material 12 and above insulatormaterial 20 and into insulating-material opening 36 and intoinsulator-material opening 38. RDL-conductive material 44 is directlyelectrically coupled to upper conductive node 14. Insulator material 20is elevationally between RDL-conductive material 44 and conductive testpad 18. RDL-conductive material 44 may be the same or of differentcomposition from that of one or both of upper conductive node 14 and/orconductive test pad 18.

Referring to FIG. 7, masking material 50 (e.g., photoresist) has beenformed atop RDL 46, and thereafter has been patterned as shown forpatterning RDL-conductive material 44 to form a line therefrom.RDL-conductive material 44 has been left outwardly exposed inscribe-line area 115 at least within insulator-material opening 38.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, RDL-conductive material 44 has beenpatterned using masking material 50 (not shown) as a mask to form anRDL-conductive line 52 in individual dies and to remove all ofRDL-conductive material 44 from being within insulator-material opening38. Masking material 50 may be wholly or partially removed while etchingRDL-conductive material 44, and/or removed after the etching ofRDL-conductive material 44 has been completed.

Referring to FIG. 10, and in one embodiment, after removingRDL-conductive material 44 from being within insulator-material opening38, elevational thickness of insulator material 20 asideinsulator-material opening 38 has been reduced (e.g., by etching) and inone embodiment and as shown elevational thickness of insulator material20 inside insulator-material opening 38 has also been reduced.Elevational thickness of insulating material 12 may also be reduced(e.g., by etching) as shown. Such removal of insulating-material 12 maybe desired (e.g., an over-etch) to assure complete separation ofRDL-conductive material 44 between RDL-conductive lines 52 that arebeing formed in individual dies.

Referring to FIG. 11, and in one embodiment, insulative material 60(e.g., silicon nitride) has been formed directly above, and in oneembodiment directly against, RDL-conductive line 52 and withininsulator-material opening 38.

Referring to FIG. 12, example subsequent processing is shown wherein adielectric layer 62 (e.g., polyimide) has been formed over insulativematerial 60. FIG. 13 shows subsequent processing thereof whereby suchhas been patterned (e.g., using photolithography) to have an opening 64extending there-through to insulative material 60 and to remove all ofdielectric layer 62 from insulator-material opening 38.

Referring to FIG. 14, insulative material 60 has been removed fromopening 64 to expose RDL-conductive line 52 and from insulator-materialopening 38 A sufficient amount of insulator material 20 has then beenremoved (e.g., by mask-less selective etching of insulator material 20relative to dielectric layer 62) from within insulator-material opening38 to extend insulator-material opening 38 elevationally inward toupwardly expose conductive test pad 18.

In one embodiment, at least a majority of sidewalls 42 ofinsulator-material opening 30 are at least 25° from vertical, in oneembodiment at least 30° from vertical, in one embodiment at least 35°from vertical, and in one embodiment no more than 45° from vertical(with 45° from vertical being shown). Regardless, in one embodiment, atleast a majority of sidewalls 42 are straight linear, in one embodimentat least 90% are straight linear, and in one embodiment all are straightlinear.

Any other attribute(s) or aspect(s) as shown and/or described hereinwith respect to other embodiments may be used.

A masking tool (e.g., a mask or reticle) would likely be used to produceRIM-die opening 26 and RIM-test-pad opening 28. Radiation would likelybe impinged onto such masking tool through openings therein that wouldbe used to expose desired regions of the RIM for ultimately producingopenings 26 and 28 in FIGS. 3 and 4. RIM-die opening 26 is shown asgoing completely through RIM 24 whereas RIM-test-pad opening does notand includes angled or sloped sidewalls whereas example RIM-die opening26 does not. To form, by way of example, RIM-test-pad opening 28,openings within the masking tool should allow more radiationthere-through onto a mid-portion of what will be opening 28 than ontoperipheral portions that are laterally-outward of such mid-portion.Additionally, such masking tool ideally will not allow sufficientradiation through the mid-portion that would result in exposure of theentire thickness of RIM 24 whereby RIM-test-pad opening 28 will notextend completely through RIM 24 as is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

By way of example only, FIG. 15 shows a portion of an example maskingtool 75 having some continuous area 76 corresponding in outline to thatof RIM-test-pad opening 28 in FIGS. 3 and 4, and is an enlarged viewthereof. Masking tool 75 is shown as having spaced elongated linearstrips 80 of radiation-blocking material (e.g., chrome) having anelongated radiation-transmissive region 82 (e.g., void space or solidradiation-transmissive material) between immediately-adjacent linearstrips 80 in the depicted horizontal cross-section. Masking tool 75 byway of example is shown as having a mid-portion 78 corresponding in sizeand shape to bottom 30 of RIM-test-pad opening 28 in FIGS. 3 and 4. Suchis shown as collectively having the greatest amount ofradiation-transmissive area in comparison to successive annular regionsthere-about having respectively lower radiation-transmissive area. Fourdifferent radiation-transmissive regions, (including mid-portion 78) areshown within example continuous area 76. More or fewer than four suchregions may be used as desired for ultimately achieving the desiredprofile of sidewalls 42 for opening 38 in insulator material 20. FIG. 15shows but one example masking tool that may be used in accordance withmethod embodiments of the invention. Other existing or later-developedmasking tools may be used (e.g., using half-tone techniques and/orhalf-tone masking tools).

Embodiments of the invention encompass structure independent of methodof manufacture, yet which may be manufactured in accordance with any ofthe method aspects described above. In some embodiments, a substrate(e.g., 10) comprises a pair of immediately-adjacent integrated-circuitdies (e.g., 113, 114) having scribe-line area (e.g., 115) there-between.At least one of the dies comprises insulating material (e.g., 12) aboveintegrated circuitry. The insulating material has an opening (e.g., 36)therein that extends elevationally inward to an upper conductive node(e.g., 14) of integrated circuitry within the one die. The one diecomprises a conductive line (e.g., 52) of an RDL (e.g., 46) above theinsulating material. The RDL-conductive line extends elevationallyinward into the opening and is directly electrically coupled to theupper conductive node. The insulating material has a minimum elevationalthickness (e.g., T1 in FIG. 14) from an uppermost surface (e.g., 16) ofthe upper conductive node to an uppermost surface (e.g., 23 in FIG. 14)of the insulating material that is immediately-adjacent theinsulating-material opening.

Insulator material (e.g., 20) is above a conductive test pad (e.g., 18)in the scribe-line area. The insulator material has an opening therein(e.g., 38 in FIG. 14) that extends elevationally inward to an uppermostsurface (e.g., 22) of the conductive test pad. The insulator materialhas a minimum elevational thickness (e.g., T2 in FIG. 14) from theconductive test pad uppermost surface to an uppermost surface (e.g., 27in FIG. 14) of the insulator material that is immediately-adjacent theinsulator-material opening and that is less than said minimumelevational thickness of the insulating material.

In one embodiment, the minimum elevational thickness of the insulatormaterial is no more than half of the minimum elevational thickness ofthe insulating material, in one embodiment is half, and in oneembodiment is less than half of the minimum elevational thickness of theinsulating material. In one embodiment, the minimum elevationalthickness of the insulator material is less than 45% of the minimumelevational thickness of the insulating material.

In one embodiment, the insulator-material opening has a minimum width(e.g., W1 in FIG. 14) at the uppermost surface of the conductive testpad that is less than a minimum width of a top (e.g., W2 in FIG. 14) ofthe insulator-material opening, and in one embodiment wherein topminimum width of the insulator-material opening is at least 150% of theminimum width of the insulator-material opening at the uppermost surfaceof the conductive test pad.

Any other attribute(s) or aspect(s) as shown and/or described hereinwith respect to other embodiments may be used.

In one embodiment, the insulating-material opening has at least oneannular ledge elevationally between a top and a bottom of theinsulating-material opening, and in one embodiment has more than onesuch annular ledge. An example such embodiment is shown in FIG. 16. Likenumerals from the above described embodiments have been used whereappropriate, with some construction differences being indicated with thesuffix “a” or with different numerals. Example insulating-materialopening 36 a is shown as having two annular ledges 63 between a top anda bottom of insulating-material opening 36 a. Example techniques forforming insulating-material opening 36 a are disclosed in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. ______, filed on the same day as this application,which is included as an “Appendix” hereto, which is incorporated byreference fully herein as constituting a part this disclosure, and whichis now US patent Publication Ser. No. ______. Accordingly, by way ofexample, the insulating-material opening and any material therein mayhave any of the attributes of the Appendix hereto. Any otherattribute(s) or aspect(s) as shown and/or described herein with respectto other embodiments may be used.

Embodiments of the invention encompass a structure within a scribe-linearea of a substrate (e.g., 10, 10 a). Such a structure comprises aconductive test pad (e.g., 18). Insulator material (e.g., 20) is abovethe conductive test pad. The insulator material has an opening therein(e.g., 38 in FIG. 14) that extends elevationally inward to an uppermostsurface (e.g., 22) of the conductive test pad. At least a majority ofsidewalls (e.g., 42) of the opening are at least. 25° from vertical. Anyother attribute(s) or aspect(s) as shown and/or described herein withrespect to other embodiments may be used.

In some prior constructions and prior methods, RDL-conductive materialremained atop conductive test pad structures in scribe-line area. Thisled to generation of cracks during dicing/sawing that in some instancesextended into die area and destroyed the circuitry therein and thusdestroyed the die. At least some embodiments of the invention maypreclude RDL-conductive material as being a part of the conductive testpad structure and at least reduce risk of crack generation duringdicing.

In this document unless otherwise indicated, “elevational”, “higher”,“upper”, “lower”, “top”, “atop”, “bottom”, “above”, “below”, “under”,“beneath”, “up”, and “down” are generally with reference to the verticaldirection. “Horizontal” refers to a general direction (i.e., within 10degrees) along a primary substrate surface and may be relative to whichthe substrate is processed during fabrication, and vertical is adirection generally orthogonal thereto. Reference to “exactlyhorizontal” is the direction along the primary substrate surface (i.e.,no degrees there-from) and may be relative to which the substrate isprocessed during fabrication. Further, “vertical” and “horizontal” asused herein are generally perpendicular directions relative one anotherand independent of orientation of the substrate in three-dimensionalspace. Additionally, “elevationally-extending” and “extend(ing)elevationally” refer to a direction that is angled away by at least 45°from exactly horizontal. Further, “extend(ing) elevationally”,“elevationally-extending”, extend(ing) horizontally, andhorizontally-extending with respect to a field effect transistor arewith reference to orientation of the transistor's channel length alongwhich current flows in operation between the source/drain regions. Forbipolar junction transistors, “extend(ing) elevationally”“elevationally-extending”, extend(ing) horizontally, andhorizontally-extending, are with reference to orientation of the baselength along which current flows in operation between the emitter andcollector.

Further, “directly above” and “directly under” require at least somelateral overlap (i.e., horizontally) of two statedregions/materials/components relative one another. Also, use of “above”not preceded by “directly” only requires that some portion of the statedregion/material/component that is above the other be elevationallyoutward of the other (i.e., independent of whether there is any lateraloverlap of the two stated regions/materials/components). Analogously,use of “under” not preceded by “directly” only requires that someportion of the stated region/material/component that is under the otherbe elevationally inward of the other (i.e., independent of whether thereis any lateral overlap of the two stated regions/materials/components).

Any of the materials, regions, and structures described herein may behomogenous or non-homogenous, and regardless may be continuous ordiscontinuous over any material which such overlie. Further, unlessotherwise stated, each material may be formed using any suitable orlater-developed technique, with atomic layer deposition, chemical vapordeposition, physical vapor deposition, epitaxial growth, diffusiondoping, and ion implanting being examples.

Additionally, “thickness” by itself (no preceding directional adjective)is defined as the mean straight-line distance through a given materialor region perpendicularly from a closest surface of animmediately-adjacent material of different composition or of animmediately-adjacent region. Additionally, the various materials orregions described herein may be of substantially constant thickness orof variable thicknesses. If of variable thickness, thickness refers toaverage thickness unless otherwise indicated, and such material orregion will have some minimum thickness and some maximum thickness dueto the thickness being variable. As used herein, “different composition”only requires those portions of two stated materials or regions that maybe directly against one another to be chemically and/or physicallydifferent, for example if such materials or regions are not homogenous.If the two stated materials or regions are not directly against oneanother, “different composition” only requires that those portions ofthe two stated materials or regions that are closest to one another bechemically and/or physically different if such materials or regions arenot homogenous. In this document, a material, region, or structure is“directly against” another when there is at least some physical touchingcontact of the stated materials, regions, or structures relative oneanother. In contrast, “over”, “on”, “adjacent”, “along”, and “against”not preceded by “directly” encompass “directly against” as well asconstruction where intervening material(s), region(s), or structure(s)result(s) in no physical touching contact of the stated materials,regions, or structures relative one another.

Herein, regions-materials-components are “electrically coupled” relativeone another if in normal operation electric current is capable ofcontinuously flowing from one to the other, and does so predominately bymovement of subatomic positive and/or negative charges when such aresufficiently generated. Another electronic component may be between andelectrically coupled to the regions-materials-components. In contrast,when regions-materials-components are referred to as being “directlyelectrically coupled”, no intervening electronic component (e.g., nodiode, transistor, resistor, transducer, switch, fuse, etc.) is betweenthe directly electrically coupled regions-materials-components.

Additionally, “metal material” is any one or combination of an elementalmetal, a mixture or an alloy of two or more elemental metals, and anyconductive metal compound.

CONCLUSION

In some embodiments, a substrate comprises a pair ofimmediately-adjacent integrated-circuit dies having scribe-line areathere-between. At least one of the dies comprises insulting materialabove integrated circuitry. The insulating material has an openingtherein that extends elevationally inward to an upper conductive node ofintegrated circuitry within the one die. The one die comprises aconductive line of an RDL above the insulating material. TheRDL-conductive line extends elevationally inward into the opening and isdirectly electrically coupled to the upper conductive node. Theinsulating material has a minimum elevational thickness from anuppermost surface of the upper conductive node to an uppermost surfaceof the insulating material that is immediately-adjacent theinsulating-material opening. Insulator material is above a conductivetest pad in the scribe-line area. The insulator material has an openingtherein that extends elevationally inward to an uppermost surface of theconductive test pad. The insulator material has a minimum elevationalthickness from the conductive-test-pad uppermost surface to an uppermostsurface of the insulator material that is immediately-adjacent theinsulator-material opening and that is less than said minimumelevational thickness of the insulating material.

In some embodiments, a substrate comprises a pair ofimmediately-adjacent integrated-circuit dies having scribe-line areathere-between. At least one of the dies comprises insulting materialabove integrated circuitry. The insulating material has an openingtherein that extends elevationally inward to an upper conductive node ofintegrated circuitry within the one die. The one die comprises aconductive line of an RDL above the insulating material. TheRDL-conductive line extends elevationally inward into the opening and isdirectly electrically coupled to the upper conductive node. Theinsulating material has a minimum elevational thickness from anuppermost surface of the upper conductive node to an uppermost surfaceof the insulating material that is immediately-adjacent theinsulating-material opening. Insulator material is above a conductivetest pad in the scribe-line area. The insulator material has an openingtherein that extends elevationally inward to an uppermost surface of theconductive test pad. The insulator material has a minimum elevationalthickness from the conductive-test-pad uppermost surface to an uppermostsurface of the insulator material that is immediately-adjacent theinsulator-material opening and that is less than said minimumelevational thickness of the insulating material. At least a majority ofsidewalls of the insulator-material opening are straight linear and atleast 25° from vertical.

In some embodiments, a structure within a scribe-line area of asubstrate comprises a conductive test pad. Insulator material is abovethe conductive test pad. The insulator material has an opening thereinthat extends elevationally inward to an uppermost surface of theconductive test pad. At least a majority of sidewalls of the opening areat least 25° from vertical.

In some embodiments, a method of forming a conductive line of an RDL ofa substrate and of forming a structure within a scribe-line area of thesubstrate comprises forming a pair of immediately-adjacentintegrated-circuit dies having scribe-line area there-between. The diesindividually comprise an upper conductive node of integrated circuitryand insulating material directly above the upper conductive node. Thescribe-line area comprises a conductive test pad and insulator materialdirectly above the conductive test pad. RIM is being directly above theinsulating material and the insulator material. A die opening is formedthrough the RIM to the insulating material directly above the upperconductive node in individual of the dies. A test-pad opening is formedinto the RIM directly above the conductive test pad. The RIM iselevationally between a bottom of the RIM-test-pad opening and theinsulator material. The RIM is used as masking material whilesimultaneously etching: a) the insulating material through the RIM-dieopening to form an insulating-material opening to the upper conductivenode, and b) the insulator material through the RIM-test-pad opening toform an insulator-material opening directly above the conductive testpad. The insulator-material is elevationally between a bottom of theinsulator-material opening and the conductive test pad. Conductivematerial of an RDL, is formed above the insulating material and abovethe insulator material and into the insulating-material opening and intothe insulator-material opening. The RDL-conductive material is directlyelectrically coupled to the upper conductive node. The insulatormaterial is elevationally between the RDL-conductive material and theconductive test pad. The RDL-conductive material is patterned to form anRDL-conductive line in the individual dies and to remove all of theRDL-conductive material from being within the insulator-materialopening. Thereafter, a sufficient amount of the insulator material isremoved from within the insulator-material opening to upwardly exposethe conductive test pad.

In compliance with the statute, the subject matter disclosed herein hasbeen described in language more or less specific as to structural andmethodical features. It is to be understood, however, that the claimsare not limited to the specific features shown and described, since themeans herein disclosed comprise example embodiments. The claims are thusto be afforded full scope as literally worded, and to be appropriatelyinterpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.

1. A substrate comprising: a pair of immediately-adjacentintegrated-circuit dies having scribe-line area there-between; at leastone of the dies comprising insulting material above integratedcircuitry, the insulating material having an opening therein thatextends elevationally inward to an upper conductive node of integratedcircuitry within the one die, the one die comprising a conductive lineof a redistribution layer (RDL) above the insulating material, theRDL-conductive line extending elevationally inward into the opening andbeing directly electrically coupled to the upper conductive node, theinsulating material having a minimum elevational thickness from anuppermost surface of the upper conductive node to an uppermost surfaceof the insulating material that is immediately-adjacent theinsulating-material opening; and insulator material above a conductivetest pad in the scribe-line area, the insulator material having anopening therein that extends elevationally inward to an uppermostsurface of the conductive test pad, the insulator material having aminimum elevational thickness from the conductive-test-pad uppermostsurface to an uppermost surface of the insulator material that isimmediately-adjacent the insulator-material opening and that is lessthan said minimum elevational thickness of the insulating material. 2.The substrate of claim 1 wherein the insulating material and theinsulator material are of the same composition.
 3. The substrate ofclaim 1 wherein said minimum elevational thickness of the insulatormaterial is no more than half of said minimum elevational thickness ofthe insulating material.
 4. The substrate of claim 3 wherein saidminimum elevational thickness of the insulator material is half of saidminimum elevational thickness of the insulating material.
 5. Thesubstrate of claim 3 wherein said minimum elevational thickness of theinsulator material is less-than-half of said minimum elevationalthickness of the insulating material.
 6. The substrate of claim 5wherein said minimum elevational thickness of the insulator material isless than 45% of said minimum elevational thickness of the insulatingmaterial.
 7. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the insulator-materialopening has a minimum width at the uppermost surface of the conductivetest pad that is less than a minimum width of a top of theinsulator-material opening.
 8. The substrate of claim 7 wherein topminimum width is at least 150% of the minimum width at the uppermostsurface of the conductive test pad.
 9. The substrate of claim 1 whereinat least a majority of sidewalls of the insulator-material opening areat least 25° from vertical.
 10. The substrate of claim 9 wherein the atleast a majority of the sidewalls are straight linear.
 11. The substrateof claim 1 wherein the insulating-material opening has at least oneannular ledge elevationally between a top and a bottom of theinsulating-material opening.
 12. The substrate of claim 11 wherein theinsulating-material opening has more than one annular ledgeelevationally between the top and the bottom of the opening.
 13. Thesubstrate of claim 1 wherein the upper conductive-node-uppermost surfaceand the conductive-test-pad-uppermost surface are at a same elevationwithin the substrate.
 14. A substrate comprising: a pair ofimmediately-adjacent integrated-circuit dies having scribe-line areathere-between; at least one of the dies comprising insulting materialabove integrated circuitry, the insulating material having an openingtherein that extends elevationally inward to an upper conductive node ofintegrated circuitry within the one die, the one die comprising aconductive line of a redistribution layer (RDL) above the insulatingmaterial, the RDL-conductive line extending elevationally inward intothe opening and being directly electrically coupled to the upperconductive node, the insulating material having a minimum elevationalthickness from an uppermost surface of the upper conductive node to anuppermost surface of the insulating material that isimmediately-adjacent the insulating-material opening; and insulatormaterial above a conductive test pad in the scribe-line area, theinsulator material having an opening therein that extends elevationallyinward to an uppermost surface of the conductive test pad, the upperconductive-node-uppermost surface and the conductive-test-pad-uppermostsurface being at a same elevation within the substrate, the insulatormaterial having a minimum elevational thickness from theconductive-test-pad uppermost surface to an uppermost surface of theinsulator material that is immediately-adjacent the insulator-materialopening and that is less than said minimum elevational thickness of theinsulating material.
 15. The substrate of claim 14 wherein at least amajority of the sidewalls of the insulator-material opening are straightlinear and at least 25° from vertical.
 16. A structure within ascribe-line area of a substrate, comprising: a conductive test pad; andinsulator material above the conductive test pad, the insulator materialhaving an opening therein that extends elevationally inward to anuppermost surface of the conductive test pad, at least a majority ofsidewalls of the opening being at least 25° from vertical.
 17. Thestructure of claim 16 wherein the at least a majority of the sidewallsof the opening are at least 30° from vertical.
 18. The structure ofclaim 17 wherein the at least a majority of the sidewalls of the openingare at least 35° from vertical.
 19. The structure of claim 17 whereinthe at least a majority of the sidewalls of the opening are no more than45° from vertical.
 20. The structure of claim 18 wherein the at least amajority of the sidewalls of the opening are about 45° from vertical.21. The structure of claim 16 wherein the at least a majority of thesidewalls are straight linear.
 22. A method of forming a conductive lineof a redistribution layer (RDL) of a substrate and of forming astructure within a scribe-line area of the substrate, comprising:forming a pair of immediately-adjacent integrated-circuit dies havingscribe-line area there-between, the dies individually comprising anupper conductive node of integrated circuitry and insulating materialdirectly above the upper conductive node, the scribe-line areacomprising a conductive test pad and insulator material directly abovethe conductive test pad, radiation-imageable material (RIM) beingdirectly above the insulating material and the insulator material;forming a die opening through the RIM to the insulating materialdirectly above the upper conductive node in individual of the dies andforming a test-pad opening into the RIM directly above the conductivetest pad, the RIM being elevationally between a bottom of theRIM-test-pad opening and the insulator material; using the RIM asmasking material while simultaneously etching: a) the insulatingmaterial through the RIM-die opening to form an insulating-materialopening to the upper conductive node, and b) the insulator materialthrough the RIM-test-pad opening to form an insulator-material openingdirectly above the conductive test pad, the insulator-material beingelevationally between a bottom of the insulator-material opening and theconductive test pad; forming conductive material of an RDL above theinsulating material and above the insulator material and into theinsulating-material opening and into the insulator-material opening, theRDL-conductive material being directly electrically coupled to the upperconductive node, the insulator material being elevationally between theRDL-conductive material and the conductive test pad; and patterning theRDL-conductive material to form a RDL-conductive line in the individualdies and to remove all of the RDL-conductive material from being withinthe insulator-material opening, and thereafter removing a sufficientamount of the insulator material from within the insulator-materialopening to extend the insulator-material opening elevationally inward toupwardly expose the conductive test pad.
 23. The method of claim 22comprising forming at least a majority of sidewalls of theextended-insulator-material opening to be at least 25° from vertical.24. The method of claim 22 comprising, after removing the RDL-conductivematerial from being within the insulator-material opening and beforeremoving the sufficient amount of the insulator material to upwardlyexpose the conductive test pad: reducing elevational thickness of theinsulator material aside the insulator-material opening.
 25. The methodof claim 24 comprising reducing elevational thickness of the insulatormaterial inside the insulator-material opening while the reducing of theelevational thickness of the insulator material aside theinsulator-material opening.
 26. The method of claim 22 sequentiallycomprising, after removing the RDL-conductive material from being withinthe insulator-material opening and before removing the sufficient amountof the insulator material to upwardly expose the conductive test pad:forming insulative material directly above the RDL-conductive line andwithin the insulator-material opening; and removing all of theinsulative material from the insulator-material opening.